


At Least It's Not a Basement

by PinkPandorafrog



Series: Advent Calendar 2020 [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:41:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27838525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkPandorafrog/pseuds/PinkPandorafrog
Summary: There's something magical about freshly fallen snow.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis
Series: Advent Calendar 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035660
Comments: 7
Kudos: 122





	At Least It's Not a Basement

**Author's Note:**

> December 2's prompt is winter wonderland. From Darcy's basement AU.

The air held a hush as Darcy walked out over the freshly fallen snow. It had been storming like crazy for most of the day, but it had recently stopped enough to be able to actually enjoy it. The nearby conifers bowed under the weight of the snow, here and there a branch springing up as it released its frozen burden to the ground.

Hers were the only footsteps, her boots making neat tracks as she walked to the middle of the small field. It had been a cow pasture or something, long since abandoned. The small farmhouse behind her was warm and cozy, smoke rising up from the chimney, the yellow glow from the windows scattered across the white ground, making it brighter than it otherwise would have been.

She came to a stop after a few yards, filling her lungs with the cool, clean air. It was peaceful. It was nice. They’d swept for mines before the storm started, so she felt reasonably safe. She knew the peace wouldn’t last, knew it was only a matter of time before they were shoved right back in the middle of things, but she was determined to enjoy it while she could.

“Hey doll,” came the low voice from behind her. She hadn’t heard Bucky slip outside after her, damn ninja, but his presence wasn’t entirely a surprise. “Steve doesn’t want anyone going out alone.”

“I’m not alone.” She glanced over her shoulder at him, a dark shape against the lights of the house. “You’re out here.” Maybe it was silly, but she kept her voice down so she wouldn’t disturb the evening’s peace.

He let it go, and it was a little surprising that he didn’t try to get her to go back in. But he seemed content to stand outside with her, enjoying the quiet night.

“I love it when it’s like this,” she told him. “We could be anywhere. I could be home. You could be home. Fuck, we might not even be  _ here _ anymore at all. We could be a million miles away.” She spread her arms wide and looked up at the sky. “Asgard or something.”

His hand brushed over her hip. When had he gotten that close? “You’ve been drinking.”

“A little. Jacques said it would help keep me warm.” She wasn’t sure on the science behind that, but the thick wool coat she was bundled up in sure seemed to help.

“Jacques wants to get you on your back,” he said wryly. “It’ll definitely help with that.”

“I mean, obviously. Pretty sure all of you do, except maybe Steve.” It was hard not to wonder exactly how much of that was actual desire for her, and how much was that she was one of a handful of women they’d seen in pretty much forever at this point. She sighed, her arms dropping to her sides.

“What’s wrong?” His concern made her smile, at least a tiny bit.

“Just everything. You know.” Not something she wanted to talk about, not with him. She put on a smile as she turned to face him. His features were much easier to make out up close, though his face was shadowed. “I wish we could stay here.”

“We’re going to for a few days.” His eyes lifted to look over her head before dropping hers again. Even in the middle of nowhere with nothing around them, he was still on his guard. “Can’t leave until we know the weather’s cleared out.”

At least a couple days. There was lots of firewood and they had plenty of rations to see them through. It could be worse. Especially with it looking like this. “That’ll be nice. No basement,” she added wryly, a bit too seriously to be a joke.

“Nope. Just all this cold and snow.” He glanced around again before his eyes came back to hers.

She’d had enough time to knit all of the guys a scarf by this point. She took the ends of his and tucked them a little more firmly around his neck. “It’s not so bad.”

“Company’s good, at least.” He gave her one of his more charming smiles accompanied by a quirk of his eyebrow, and fuck if he wasn’t hot as hell when he did that.

“It’s not fair.” She rested her hands on her hips.

“What’s that?”

“I look like a hot mess and you’re all…” She gestured to him. Even bundled up in his own army-issue winter coat and hat, he was pretty.

“I dunno, doll.” His hand slipped into the small of her back as he stepped in close. “You look pretty good to me.”

“Even all the way out here, you’re still smooth as shit.” She rested her mittened palms on his chest.

He leaned down until his lips barely brushed over hers. They were cold in the night air, but then hers had to be too. “You wanna go inside and get warm?”

The promise of the fire inside was tempting, but she wasn’t quite ready to leave the hushed stillness of the pasture yet. The guys were all inside, and while she loved spending time with them, it promised to be loud and boisterous. “Not yet.”

“Okay.” He slipped away, taking her hand. He smiled as she looked a question at him. “You’re not supposed to be out here alone.”

They walked through the pasture, the only sound the crunch of the snow under their feet. “We should all make a snowman,” Darcy said eventually. “Before it all freezes.”

Bucky huffed with amusement. “You’ll probably need to get them to have a little more to drink before they’re ready to come out here.”

“Maybe.” She stopped near the far fence and again turned to look up at him. It was nice, but the wind was starting to pick up. “We might want to go back in before it gets serious out here again.” The tip of her nose felt a little too cold, and her legs where the coat didn’t cover them.

“Whatever you say. Just before we do…” He pulled her into his arms, leaning forward until she was bent back just slightly. “I have you all to myself for another few minutes.”

Anything she might have said was lost as he leaned to kiss her again. His swept into her mouth, effortlessly turning her brain to mush. At last he straightened, making sure she was steady on her feet before slipping away. “Um, yeah. Okay.” Her lips almost tingled, and she pressed them together.

He grinned as they turned back toward the house.


End file.
